Food Lion on South Main Street to close

Jack Whitehead loads groceries into his car after doing the weekly shopping with his wife, Judy, on Wednesday at the Food Lion on South Main Street in Lexington. The store is closing permanently within a few weeks.

Published: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 4:32 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 4:32 p.m.

The Food Lion at 1104 S. Main St. will close by the end of the month.

Christy Philips-Brown, external communications director for Food Lion's corporate office in Salisbury, said the reason for closing the grocery store was not due to lack of customers, but the company has just decided not to renew the lease on the property.

"It is not a decision that we made lightly," Philips-Brown said. "We do have several other locations in Lexington, and we do hope our customers will continue to use those stores."

Philips-Brown said the building lease on South Main Street was for 25 years.Food Lion moved into that location in 1989 and employed approximately 40 full-time and part-time employees. She said that all the employees were eligible to be transferred to other Food Lion stores, and they were working diligently with those employees to find placements within the area that would work best for them.

There are 12 Food Lion stores in Davidson County, including four others in the city limits. They are at 291 Talbert Blvd.;140 Forest Hill Road; 1989 Cotton Grove Road; and 848 Winston Road.

Food Lion will reduce the prices on all inventory by 25 percent per week until the store closes at the end of the month. The first sale, which began Wednesday, marked all products, excluding those regulated by federal laws such as alcohol, by 25 percent. Next week employees will reduce the remaining products by 50 percent and then finally anything that is left can be purchased at 75 percent of its original prices.

A shopper who wished to remain anonymous stated that most of the fresh produce, meats and dairy products were already gone by midday Wednesday.

Most of the shoppers who were at the sale at Food Lion on Wednesday said they were disappointed and shocked to find out the location was closing.

Savanah Carroll says she is amazed that the store is going out of business and points out that it's not necessarily the closest grocery store to her house but is the most convenient.

"It's the closest when I'm on my way home from work or to pick up my kid at school," she said as she was taking advantage of the first week of sales with her mother-in-law, Sharlene Torralba.

Vernice Lindsay says she is disappointed because this is the closest store to her house, and it was where she would come whenever she ran out of little things.

"I guess I won't be running up here anymore on Sundays to grab something," she said. "The next closest store is two miles away and not very convenient."

Lindsay says that she prefers shopping at Food Lion because the store carries the brands of food that she likes. She says that she will probably go to the store on Cotton Grove Road when this one closes at the end of the month.

Linda Giles, who only shops at Food Lion because she has a family member who works at the corporate warehouse in Salisbury, says that she is upset the store is closing but will make the necessary trip to the other locations even if it is out of her way.

"I hate it," she said. "But I won't be going to Walmart because it's too crowded, and there is never any parking. I guess I'll be driving to the other side of town from now on."

Sharon Myers can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 228 or at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com.

<p>The Food Lion at 1104 S. Main St. will close by the end of the month.</p><p>Christy Philips-Brown, external communications director for Food Lion's corporate office in Salisbury, said the reason for closing the grocery store was not due to lack of customers, but the company has just decided not to renew the lease on the property. </p><p>"It is not a decision that we made lightly," Philips-Brown said. "We do have several other locations in Lexington, and we do hope our customers will continue to use those stores."</p><p>Philips-Brown said the building lease on South Main Street was for 25 years.Food Lion moved into that location in 1989 and employed approximately 40 full-time and part-time employees. She said that all the employees were eligible to be transferred to other Food Lion stores, and they were working diligently with those employees to find placements within the area that would work best for them.</p><p>There are 12 Food Lion stores in Davidson County, including four others in the city limits. They are at 291 Talbert Blvd.;140 Forest Hill Road; 1989 Cotton Grove Road; and 848 Winston Road.</p><p>Food Lion will reduce the prices on all inventory by 25 percent per week until the store closes at the end of the month. The first sale, which began Wednesday, marked all products, excluding those regulated by federal laws such as alcohol, by 25 percent. Next week employees will reduce the remaining products by 50 percent and then finally anything that is left can be purchased at 75 percent of its original prices. </p><p>A shopper who wished to remain anonymous stated that most of the fresh produce, meats and dairy products were already gone by midday Wednesday.</p><p>Most of the shoppers who were at the sale at Food Lion on Wednesday said they were disappointed and shocked to find out the location was closing.</p><p>Savanah Carroll says she is amazed that the store is going out of business and points out that it's not necessarily the closest grocery store to her house but is the most convenient.</p><p>"It's the closest when I'm on my way home from work or to pick up my kid at school," she said as she was taking advantage of the first week of sales with her mother-in-law, Sharlene Torralba.</p><p>Vernice Lindsay says she is disappointed because this is the closest store to her house, and it was where she would come whenever she ran out of little things.</p><p>"I guess I won't be running up here anymore on Sundays to grab something," she said. "The next closest store is two miles away and not very convenient."</p><p>Lindsay says that she prefers shopping at Food Lion because the store carries the brands of food that she likes. She says that she will probably go to the store on Cotton Grove Road when this one closes at the end of the month.</p><p>Linda Giles, who only shops at Food Lion because she has a family member who works at the corporate warehouse in Salisbury, says that she is upset the store is closing but will make the necessary trip to the other locations even if it is out of her way.</p><p>"I hate it," she said. "But I won't be going to Walmart because it's too crowded, and there is never any parking. I guess I'll be driving to the other side of town from now on."</p><p>Sharon Myers can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 228 or at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com.</p>